Goldman, Morgan Stanley pay $557mn in mortgage case

The settlements could compensate hundreds of thousands of Americans whose homes were seized because of abuses such as “robo-signing”, when banks automatically signed off on foreclosures without properly reviewing documents. Photo: Ramin Talaie/Getty Images/AFP

Washington:Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will pay a combined $557 million to settle federal complaints that they wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes.

The agreements announced on Wednesday with the Federal Reserve were similar to deals struck earlier in January with 10 other major banks and mortgage lenders. Combined, the 12 firms will pay more than $9 billion.

The settlements could compensate hundreds of thousands of Americans whose homes were seized because of abuses such as “robo-signing,” when banks automatically signed off on foreclosures without properly reviewing documents.

The agreement will also help eliminate huge potential liabilities for the banks. Consumer advocates say regulators settled for too low a price by letting banks avoid full responsibility for foreclosures that victimized families.